My Perfect Thing
by Brittana4rever
Summary: What would have happened if Quinn and Puck had gotten Beth back from Shelby?  Eventual Puck/Shelby  M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_**CHAPTER 1**_

Quinn peered into the smudged mirror, rubbing her eyes. She knew that the mirror wasn't exactly lying to her, but it was hard to believe that the worn-out girl she saw reflected in the glass surface was really Quinn Fabray. Dark hollows had formed under tired eyes, and a face that was usually pleasant, rounded oval shape had taken on a gaunt, angular contour. Her hair was still blond, but it seemed muted, as though, it, too, wanted to give up, and her blue eyes looked dull and flat.

Quinn ran her fingers over her face numbly. Had taking care of Beth, her own, dear, sweet Perfect Thing, robbed her of her beauty as well as her time? She sighed pulled her dress over her head, examining her body long enough to register that her ribs were beginning to show in a way that was not entirely flattering before she stepped into the bathtub.

The steaming-hot water relaxed her almost immediately, and she closed her eyes and dipped her head underwater. Her blond hair fanned out behind her, making her feel lighter, carefree. Quinn held her breath, stretching out the time until she had to resurface by one second, two, three, four...Quinn broke the surface of the water and wrung out her wet hair, then lathered it with shampoo. She rinsed it until she was sure it was as clean as it had been in weeks, then massaged a dime-sized amount of deep conditioner into it. She sighed as she leaned back against the cold, slippery rim of the tub. It'd been a while since she'd felt head-to-toe clean.

Quinn was about to reach for the damp copy of People magazine lying on the floor when Puck burst into the room, juggling a screaming Beth and an empty baby bottle. Puck's brow was creased in concern, and he was humming softly, trying to calm the fussy baby. "Quinn!" Puck said, completely ignoring the fact that she was naked, to Quinn's mixed relief and disappointment. "Can you take the baby?" Puck asked, shoving Beth at Quinn, and Quinn noticed for the first time that Puck looked stressed, too. The sleepless nights had taken a toll on his handsome face, and his cheeks were hollow. There were dark circles under his eyes.

Beth, on the other hand, was round-faced and healthy. Quinn sighed and stood reluctantly, slipping on her fluffy white robe, and took Beth from Puck. "Shhh... Shhh..." she crooned, pressing Beth to her chest. "Get your guitar." She addressed Puck without looking up from Beth. Obediently, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

He was back in a half a second with his shiny wooden guitar. Quinn sat down on the edge of the tub, rocking Beth in her lap, and she closed her eyes as Puck began to strum the soft opening chords of Beth's favorite song.

_So long, I've been looking too hard, I've been waiting too long_

_Sometimes I don't know what I will find, I only know it's a matter of time_

_When you love someone, when you love someone_

_It feels so right, so warm and true, I need to know if you feel it too _

Quinn felt tears welling in her eyes as Beth reached out a tiny hand to curl around Quinn's finger. Puck's voice rose as he neared the chorus, the part of the song that always gave Quinn goosebumps.

_Maybe I'm wrong, won't you tell me if I'm coming on too strong_

_This heart of mine has been hurt before, this time I wanna be sure_

_I've been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life_

_I've been waiting for a girl like you, your loving will survive_

_I've been waiting for someone new to make me feel alive_

_Yeah, waiting for a girl like you to come into my life_

Beth's crying, already softer, stopped altogether as Puck sang the chorus, and Quinn let her tears fall. Beth yawned as a salty drop landed on her cheek and stretched out her pudgy arms. Quinn stroked her strawberry hair, fine and soft as corn silk.

_You're so good, when we make love it's understood_

_It's more than a touch or a word can say_

_Only in dreams could it be this way_

_When you love someone, yeah, really love someone_

Beth closed her eyes, and Quinn kissed her cheek. She waited for Puck to finish his song, but he kept going, and Quinn new that he was singing to her now.

_Now I know it's right, from the moment I wake up till deep in the night_

_There's nowhere on earth that I'd rather be than holding you tenderly_

_I've been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life_

_I've been waiting for a girl like you, your loving will survive_

_I've been waiting for someone new to make me feel alive_

_Yeah, waiting for a girl like you to come into my life_

Quinn tried to suppress her sobs, but they bubbled from her mouth in tiny, soft, involuntary noises.

_I've been waiting, waiting for you, ooh, I've been waiting_

_I've been waiting_

_(I've been waiting for a girl like you, I've been waiting)_

_Won't you come into my life?_

Puck drew out the last word, and when he set his guitar down, Quinn buried her face in his chest. Puck took Beth from her and set her on his lap, then wrapped his arms around Quinn as she cried. He stroked her hair as if soothing a puppy.

Quinn didn't know how long she cried, but when she finally raised her tear-stained face, Beth was sleeping peacefully on Puck's lap. She rubbed her eyes and stood, picking Beth up in her arms. Quinn left Puck to put his guitar away and walked to Beth's room, kissing Beth's silky hair before gently laying her in her cradle. She stood there for a moment, watching Beth's peaceful breathing. "My perfect little thing." Quinn whispered, and switched off the light.


	2. Unwanted Caller

Quinn woke up early the next day. She wasn't exactly sure of the hour, but thin, watery sunlight streamed in through the blinds, and Puck was fast asleep next to her, his arm pressing into Quinn's back. Quinn briefly considered going back to sleep, then decided there was no point.

Quietly, she disengaged herself from Puck's sleeping embrace and padded out of the room in sock feet, closing the door behind her. As she trailed down the hallway, she felt a familiar wave of panic wash over her. Quinn broke into a trot and pushed open the already-cracked door to Beth's room before she had time to picture her beautiful baby girl with a sheet wrapped around her neck, or in any other of the horrible scenarios she could imagine in the time it took her to cross the room and reach Beth's crib. She breathed out a silent sigh of relief when she saw Beth sleeping, rosy-cheeked and peaceful.

Quinn leaned over the edge of the cradle, listening to Beth's steady, peaceful breathing. The way Beth's tiny hands curled around her blanket as she slept, the way her little chest rose and fell with each breath, the glint of her tight golden curls in the sunlight. Those were the things that reminded Quinn why it was worth it. All the sleep she missed, all the fun she missed, all the _life_ she missed, was worth it, because Beth was perfect. Quinn bent her head and kissed Beth's cheek. Her blond hair tickled Beth's forehead, and Beth wrinkled her nose in her sleep and turned over.

Quietly, Quinn switched off the nightlight and tiptoed out of the room, leaving the door open just in case. She crept into the kitchen and peered into the refrigerator. Reaching behind a carton of baby formula, Quinn extracted a bag of crumbled bread, a piece of cheese, and a lone raw egg.

Sighing, she grabbed a piece of bread and walked into the living room. She opened all the curtains, and stood back to amire the effect. It had gotten much colder overnight, and the world was covered in a thin layer of frost which made the trees and cars sparkle as if they were sprinkled with diamonds. The early-morning sun wrapped it's faint warmth around Quinn, and she felt as much at peace as she had in months.

As she stood in her silent reverie, the phone rang. Quinn hurried over to pick it up, then dropped it like a hot pan when she saw the caller ID. _Shelby Corcoran._ Quinn gritted her teeth together. For the first week after Child Protective Services had taken Beth away from her, Shelby had called nonstop, and left endless messages begging Quinn to "talk" to her. Quinn had ignored them all. Shelby hadn't let her join the Trebletones, and she hadn't let her see Beth. True, Quinn had been sneaking around planting books on baby sacrifice in her house, but Shelby hadn't known that when she'd shut Quinn out.

So Quinn let the phone ring and ring, figuring Shelby would eventually give up. But instead, Quinn heard herself informing Shelby to please leave a message, and then, a moment later, Shelby's throaty voice. "Listen, Quinn. I know you're awake." Shelby didnt sound angry, or vindictive. In fact, she sounded downright pleasant. "I need to talk to Puck." Shelby continued, and Quinn felt her back stiffen. "So please, when you get the time, can you tell him Ms. C called?"

Quinn went over to the phone, picked it up, and slammed it back in it's cradle, cutting off Shelby's message. At the same time, Beth began to wail from her room. Clenching her hands into fists, Quinn closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, telling herself to rise above it all. But she knew her perfect day was ruined, and all because of Shelby Corcoran and her stupid idea that she was going to get Beth back.

Quinn opened her eyes and calmly walked over to Beth's room. As she picked up the fussy baby and cradled her, bouncing her softly, she decided that Shelby Corcoran was not going to get to talk to Puck. She was not going to get to see Beth. And she was definitely not going to get Beth back. Quinn would make sure of that, because there was absolutely no way that Shelby was going to ruin her perfect family.

As Quinn cradled Beth in her arms, she felt at peace again. This was how it should be, she and Beth and Puck together, perfectly normal in a tiny town in a crazy life on a crazy world that just kept on spinning.


	3. A very brief departure from our senses

"So." Puck traced his hand down Quinn's arm, fingers tickling over her wrist. "So." Quinn echoed hollowly. She glanced over at the door to Beth's room, wishing she could leave Puck and go hold her baby girl, and reassure herself that everythng was okay.

But Beth was sleeping peacefully. Quinn had drawn out Beth's bathtime, had plaited her hair into tiny, soft braids and read her an extra bedtime story, and now everything was done that possibly could be done, and she was out of excuses to avoid talking to Puck. Quinn lowered her eyes from Puck's face. His expression-hurt, confused-asked a question she didn't have the answer to.

"So." Puck repeated. "I don't know... I was thinking we should go out tonight." Quinn glanced up in surprise. Puck was actually blushing, too shy to meet her eyes. "Like, I don't know, Breadstix or something." he mumbled.

Quinn felt a bubble of hysterical laughter rising in her throat, and she supressed it ruthlessly. It was just so ridiculous. They'd known eachother for years. They'd dated-albeit in secret-for months. Puck had seen her naked, knew every detail of her body, was the father of her baby. And yet, here they were acting like they'd just met.

A balloon of happiness welled inside Quinn's stomach, and she felt giddy and reckless. "Why not?" She leaned her head into the crook of Puck's arm, inhaling the smell of aftershave and Beth's baby shampoo that always seemed to hover around him. _Beth._ The happiness-balloon inside Quinn deflated a little, and she sat up. "Puck, we can't go out! What about Beth?" she went from giddy to angry in an instant, and she bit her cheek to keep from scowling at him. How could he not remember their baby girl?

Puck looked chagrined. "Well, I was thinking..." he began, glancing at Quinn. "Maybe Miss C could watch her." "Shelby?" Quinn's anger blazed white-hot, and she was on her feet in an instant. "No** fucking **way! That woman tried to take Beth away from us, Puck! There is no way that she is spending another minute of her life with our daughter!"

Puck's chagrin turned to anger, and he stood to face Quinn eye-to-eye, kicking over his chair. "What;s the matter with you? It's her kid, too! Still would be if you hadn't planted those books, and those-those... _things_ in her house! And when you do this-when you act crazy like this, it reminds we how much better it would have been if I'd never let you do it!"

Those words shattered Quinn. Her legs buckled, and she sank back down onto her chair. "Don't call Beth 'it'." she whispered shakily. Puck seemed to realize his mistake, and he squatted next to her, running his hand sheepishly over his untamed mohawk. "Quinn." he began, but Quinn pressed her lips into a thin light and held up her hand. "You know what? You're right." She swallowed her anger with an effort and formed a wan smile. "We should go out." She leaned over and kissed Puck on the mouth, feeling his unshaved whiskers scratch her cheeks. "Go get ready."

She leaned back, shook out her long, honey-colored hair, and gave him a smile that implied- much. Puck looked a bit astonished at her sudden mood swing, but he got up obligingly and held out his hand to Quinn. "Are you sure..." he trailed off, but he knew and Quinn knew what was left unsaid. "I'm sure." Quinn hitched up her long skirt and stepped delicately past Puck. She sauntered off to their room, knowing Puck was watching her, making sure her hips swayed with every step.

Satisfied that Puck was definitely not thinking of Shelby anymore, Quinn shed her dress and pastel cardigan and made a naked beeline for the shower, half-hoping, half-not, that Puck had seen her.

As she stood under the steaming-hot water and worked conditioner through her thick hair, she wondered vaguely if she knew at all what she was doing.

_Of course._ She told herself reassuringly. _She was doing what was best. For Beth, for Puck, and for herself. For herself most of all._


End file.
